It was quite a week for football here in the U.S., as the USL Championship and NWSL both kicked off their postseason competitions with some exciting matches. MLS Decision Day delivered some historical and thrilling results as well, solidifying the 2021 playoff bracket.
Additionally, CONCACAF qualifiers for next year’s World Cup resume Friday for the final time this year. Two must-watch contests in Cincinnati and Edmonton could very well determine who enters 2022 in the top three spots.
USL Championship
It was an eventful week in USL, as the 16 postseason-bound clubs all took the field and delivered some stunning results.
In the Eastern Conference, Tampa Bay advanced with a dominant 6-2 victory over FC Tulsa. The Florida side will now host Birmingham Legion in the second round, who moved on after COVID-19 protocols canceled their first-round matchup with Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Oakland Roots SC upset El Paso Locomotive on Saturday, taking a 1-0 win on the road. The Bay Area club will now head south to take on Orange County, who defeated Colorado Springs 1-0 on Saturday to advance, in the conference semifinals.
Rio Grande Valley FC shocked Western Conference leader Phoenix to move on to the second round. After the affair finished undecided in extra time, the two headed to penalties, where RGV emerged victorious. The Toros will move on to battle with San Antonio, who took down San Diego Loyal 2-0.
Charlotte Independence and Louisville City FC will battle for a spot in the Conference Finals after defeating Memphis 901 FC and The Miami FC.
Major League Soccer
Decision Day finalized the playoff picture in MLS over the weekend, allowing the battle for the league’s 26th champion to commence.
New England Revolution secured the MLS Supporters shield following the completion of the Regular Season, claiming 73 points- overtaking LAFC in 2019 for the highest ever point total in a season for an MLS side- to the tune of a 22-5-7 record. Bruce Arena’s squad will get a bye in the first round, before taking on the winner of New York City FC and Atlanta United.
Out west, Colorado Rapids edged out Seattle Sounders FC to take the Western Conference crown. The club’s 5-2 win over LAFC took advantage of a Seattle draw with Vancouver to give them a one-point advantage and a first round playoff bye.
Real Salt Lake claimed the final playoff spot in the west with a thrilling stoppage time game-winner from Damir Kreilach. The victory gave RSL the edge over LA Galaxy in total wins, eliminating the Southern California club by tiebreaker. Salt Lake will now take on Seattle for a spot in the conference semifinal.
National Women’s Soccer League
NWSL postseason play resumes this weekend after an exciting pair of matches opened the festivities.
Washington Spirit took a 1-0 win from North Carolina Courage on Saturday. After 90 minutes scoreless, the two clubs advanced to extra time, where golden boot winner Ashley Hatch bagged the lone score of the contest in the 113th minute. D.C. will now head west to take on OL Reign in the semifinals.
In Chicago, Red Stars took a 1-0 win of their own over NY/NJ Gotham FC. A 60th minute score from Mallory Pugh secured the victory for the hosts, sending them to Oregon to take on Portland Thorns.
World Cup Qualifying
The final set of World Cup Qualifying Matches this year will kick off this weekend when the U.S. takes on Mexico and Canada meets up with Costa Rica.
Come Friday, all eyes will be on the USMNT as they play host to Mexico in the first qualifier between the two countries in 2021. It will be an emotional evening in Cincinnati, as the meeting will also be their first since the Gold Cup Final in August.
Up north, Canada will host Costa Rica, who can move into the top three in CONCACAF with a win. Canada has yet to lose in qualifying matches in 2021, leaving them and Mexico as the only unbeaten teams in the table thus far.